Consider how precious in the eyes of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ is the holy virtue of purity. Our Divine Redeemer on every suitable occasion manifests His love and preference for this holy virtue. None but Mary "most pure," Mary "most chaste," Mary "undefiled," Mary "Virgin of virgins," Mary "Immaculate" was chosen to be the Mother of Jesus. Who was privileged to recline his head upon the bosom of the Savior at the Last Supper? The virgin disciple St. John the Evangelist. When Jesus was dying upon the cross, in whose charge did He leave the dearest and most precious treasure He had on earth, His Virgin Mother? Jesus dying gave charge of His Virgin Mother to the virgin disciple, St. John the Evangelist. In heaven the virgins enjoy special honors and favors above all other Saints. In heaven are the confessors, who wore chains for Jesus Christ. In heaven are the countless martyrs with their palm branch in their hands, the emblem of their martyrdom. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Could they do more than shed their blood and give their life for Jesus. Yet far beyond these, and far nearer to Jesus is another band of Saints who are privileged to sing special hymns, and to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Who are these privileged souls? Pure virgins. The Evangelist thus narrates it: "And they sung as were a new canticle before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the ancients, and no man could say the canticle but these three hundred and forty thousand . . . for they are virgins. These followed the Lamb whithersoever he goeth ... for they are without spot before the throne of God" (Apoc. xiv. 3).

Thus in heaven, as on earth, all who approached nearest to Jesus, the "Lamb," were the pure and the chaste. Now, it is from his relation with Mary and Jesus that we form a true notion of the purity and chastity of St. Joseph. God was so jealous of Mary the Immaculate Mother of Jesus that He would choose no other for her spouse but the purest and chastest man ever created. Let us hear the beautiful and sublime words of St. Bernardino of Sienna: "How can a discreet mind think that the Holy Ghost would have united by such a union any soul to the soul of such a Virgin unless most like her in the practice of virtue? Whence I believe that this most holy man Joseph was most pure in virginity, most profound in humility, most ardent in charity, most high in contemplation, and most solicitous for his spouse." So much for St. Joseph in his relation with Mary.

But how speak of the purity and chastity of St. Joseph from his relation with Jesus? If Mary called him spouse, Jesus called him father. How pure and chaste must St. Joseph be, who for about thirty years lived in the presence of uncreated purity, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate and Eternal Son of God. The purity and chastity of St. Joseph was on account of the Incarnation, in honor of Jesus and Mary. St. Francis of Sales writes: "St. Joseph surpassed the Angels and Saints in purity; for if being exposed for a few days only to the heat of the material sun the lily acquires its dazzling whiteness, who can conceive the extraordinary degree of purity to which St. Joseph was exalted, exposed as he was, day and night, for so many years, to the rays of the Sun of Justice, and to that mystical moon which derives all her splendor from him."

Practical Resolution: "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."

To be near Jesus, and to be dear to Jesus, like Mary and Joseph, we must be pure and chaste. Heaven the soul of man shall never possess until she be purer than a sunbeam and whiter than the virgin snow. Chastity is a special gift of God. The inspired writer says: "I knew that I could not otherwise be continent except God gave . . . . I went to the Lord and besought him" (Wisd. viii. 21). Prayer, therefore, is the first means to preserve chastity. The second means is to avoid every dangerous occasion of sin. And the third is to subdue our sinful flesh by acts of mortification, and our proud spirit by acts of humility and self-denial.

I resolve, therefore, by God's grace, to shun, all the days of my life, every occasion which I know from experience to be dangerous to holy purity; and, secondly, every day to practice some little acts of humility and self-denial known to God alone. O Jesus, grant me the grace to keep my resolutions.

Prayer: O loving Jesus! make me pure. O sweet Jesus! make me chaste. To preserve purity, dearer to me than my life, O Jesus, grant me the spirit of prayer. O merciful Jesus! may I call upon Thee in the dark hour of temptation. Jesus, save me from the foul evil of impurity. Help me, O blessed Savior, when I am tempted. May I die, O Jesus, take me out of life, O Lord, but never permit me to fall into mortal sin. O merciful Savior, give me a living fear of sin, and the dangerous occasions of sin. "Pierce thou my flesh with Thy fear." O Blessed Lord, grant me a horror of pride, and love for humility. O Savior, grant me the grace to shun sensuality of all sorts, and to love and practice mortification and self-denial. St. Joseph, obtain for me from Jesus purity of body and soul.

Guardian of Virgins, and holy father Joseph, to whose faithful custody Jesus Christ, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of Virgins, were committed, I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that, being preserved from all uncleanness, I may, with spotless mind, pure heart, and chaste body, ever serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life.

Virgin most pure, "Virgin most chaste, Virgin immaculate, pray for me, and obtain for me purity of soul and body.

Practice. Today practice four acts of self-denial: of the eyes, the tongue, the taste or appetite, and the will.

Aspiration. O Jesus! make my heart and soul, my mind and body, as pure and chaste as the angels of God in Paradise.

"An Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph saying: Arise, take the child and his mother and fly into Egypt. . . Who arose and took the child and his mother by night and returned into Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. . . But when Herod was dead, behold an Angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt, saying, arise and take the child and his mother and go into the land of Israel. Who arose and took the child and his mother and came into the land of Israel" (Matt. ii. 13-20).

Meditate on the sublime mission of St. Joseph. Mary was nearer and dearer to God than any creature that ever existed. Mary wanted a guardian worthy of herself, and God chose from among the children of men St. Joseph for this holy mission. After the Incarnation with what reverence did St. Joseph regard Our Blessed Lady. Reflect on his unique privileges. During the long and fatiguing journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, with what reverence and love did St. Joseph minister to Mary's wants and comforts. When fatigued, how often the Virgin Mother used to lean upon his arm for support, and recline her head upon the chaste bosom of her spouse to seek repose.

At the whisper of an Angel the Holy Family fled into Egypt. St. Joseph's loving care lightened Mary's fatigues during the journey. The cedar of the forest, as well as the fruit trees of the desert, recognizing the Lord of creation, bowed down in homage, and St. Joseph plucked fruits and flowers for Mary and Jesus. During the stay in Egypt on the return home to Judea, and during his life at Nazareth, St. Joseph was the guardian protector of the Blessed Virgin, and with a loving hand supplied all her wants and comforts. What privilege could be higher, holier, or more sublime!

Meditate what lights, what graces, what sanctity did St. Joseph receive from God by his constant and holy conversation with the Blessed Virgin on heavenly subjects. The moon reflects upon dull earth her cheerful, refreshing light shed upon her by the sun; so the Blessed Virgin, the mystic moon, reflected upon the soul of St. Joseph the choicest gifts and graces, shed upon her own soul by Jesus Christ the Eternal Sun of Justice.

If cold hearts are warmed, and tepid souls made fervent, as they have been, by the society and conversation of holy souls; how estimable the heavenly joys, the sublime graces, the choicest gifts showered upon the soul of St. Joseph, by the grace of God, from his heavenly communing with the Blessed Virgin on divine truths. St. Joseph may say of his holy spouse, "When I go into my house I shall repose myself with her, for her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness" (Wisd. viii. 16).

A celebrated French author, writing on this subject, says:--" When we meditate upon these things it is difficult to find words to express even inadequately the wonder and astonishment that we feel at this sublime vocation of Joseph, to whom God has confided the richest treasures of heaven and earth."

Practical Resolution: Meditating on the glories of the Holy Family, we may exclaim with St. Peter at the Transfiguration: "Lord, it is good for us to be here ; if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles," one for Jesus, one for Mary, and one for Joseph. Under the protection of St. Joseph, Mary, the choicest, the most tender, and the most precious jewel on earth, after Jesus, was in safe keeping, so if I be happy enough to secure the protection of St. Joseph, my salvation will be safe, beyond risk or peril. To secure the protection of St. Joseph for myself, living and dying, I resolve, at the end of my prayers, and frequently during the day, to invoke St. Joseph to obtain for me the grace of a holy life and happy death.

Prayers: St. Joseph, who didst protect Mary Immaculate, watch over me. St. Joseph, who didst guard Mary from all harm, guard me from the evils of sin. St. Joseph, who didst minister to all Mary's temporal wants, watch over my spiritual necessities. St. Joseph, who didst live for so many years under the influence of the rays of divine love, reflected by Mary from her Son Jesus, pray that I may ever live in the presence of Jesus and Mary. St. Joseph, so dear to Mary, obtain that Mary may adopt me for her child. "God, who art wonderful in Thy Saints, and more wonderful in Blessed Joseph, making him dispenser of heavenly gifts over Thy family grant we beseech Thee, by these dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that being preserved from all uncleanness, I may, with a spotless mind, pure heart, and chaste body, serve Jesus and Mary all the days of my life."

"God who in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the husband of Thy most holy Mother, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be made worthy to receive him for our intercessor in heaven, whom on earth we venerate as our holy Protector, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. Practice.

Today several times on bended knees pray to St. Joseph to ask and request his holy spouse the Blessed Virgin to adopt you as her child.

Aspiration: O Blessed Virgin Mary my holy mother and St. Joseph my protector, obtain for me the grace to love and serve Jesus faithfully all the days of my life.